


The Butterfly and The Snake

by OpalSpirit



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Butterflies, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fight or Flight, Kidnapping, Mind Control, Protective Loki (Marvel), Purple Eyes, SHIELD, Teleportation, Tumblr: imagine-loki, female agent - Freeform, global search, loki!angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-03-01 11:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18799840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalSpirit/pseuds/OpalSpirit
Summary: “This mortal, are you certain she is the correct choice ?”Loki hated being second-guessed, it didn’t matter by who. “Yes. She is of great value to them.”“I hope, for your sake that you are right, Asgardian. He will not take kindly to yet another failure from you.”~ ~ ~Agent Sairene Kyler was not the only one looking for information on the Tesseract. Sent by SHIELD, she scoured Europe, only to get cut short in Austria. Captured by an unnamed opponent, she fights to learn who they are and why they took her.Loki was positive he had made the right choice. The plan remained the same. Right up until it didn't. Right up until the tides turned and he was the one fighting to keep her safe. Safe from a threat far bigger than himself.





	1. The Chase

Her body was littered with scars from old hunts, she was a living tapestry of near-misses and fights. In her young life, Sairene Kylar had had more near-death experiences than she would care to admit. Being of a small build, she had been able to get out of many a tight spot.

Known in the Intelligence world as ‘The Butterfly’, Sairene was light on her feet  and was so quick that people often thought they imagined seeing her. She now relied on those skills as her feet skimmed over the wet streets of Vienna. The wind caused by her running plastered her blonde hair to her forehead and whipped it across her eyes. Choosing to stick to the back roads, Sairene ran as fast as she could, she was used to be chased, but that was not what worried her; usually she ran too fast for anyone to give chase for too long.

Rounding a corner, she pressed herself flat against the wall and forgot how to breathe as her pursuers shot past her. Waiting for what seemed like hours, Sairene finally peeled herself off the wall and lightly tapped the com device in her ear. “Nat? You there?”

_“Sai? You alright? We haven’t heard from you in almost a week! You still in Austria? Have you met with our contact?”_

Swallowing hard, Sairene looked around took a deep breath before answering, “I met with him alright.”

 _“What happened? Your tone suggests something bad.”_ Sairene could practically see Natasha’s face.

“Bad is quite the understatement,” her unique purple eyes scanned her surroundings. “He’s dead Nat. He was dead by the time I got to him and I’ve been on the run ever since.”

_“On the run?! Sai we have to get you out of there!”_

She shook her head as though her friend could see her. “No, Nat you don’t understand. These people are different. They’ve been after me for just over a week. When have you ever known someone to chase after me for that long?”

_“They usually give up after a few hours.”_

“Exactly.” Looking around _,_ Sairene made sure she was alone. “I have to find who they are and why they’re so hell bent on finding me.”

She could almost hear Natasha roll her eyes, _“you mean, you **want** to find out.”_

Sairene opened her mouth to answer when a figure came into view _,_ “Nat? I have to go, we’ll talk tomorrow, I promise.” Not stopping to ask who the person was, she bolted. She soon came to a dead-end, fifteen meters of smooth brick and no door or potential handholds. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sairene forced herself to calm down, she had been in plenty of situations like this one and she had always managed to get out. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her pursuer with short blades up each sleeve, ready for combat, should it come to that.

“They do say that butterflies are difficult to catch,” a refined English accent greeted her ears.

Narrowing her eyes, Sairene struggled to make out the identity of the speaker. “Who are you?” Her blades slipped further down, the hilts sliding into her palms.

“But then again, everything is easy once you know how,” the speaker slowly advanced towards her but she held her ground. Soon he came into view beneath the flickering alley light. Hair as black as the night brushed his suit-clad shoulders and emerald eyes were looking at her intently. “You’ll have no need for those,” waving his hand, her knives disappeared.

“Who are you and what did you just do?” Sairene was becoming impatient but she was also worried.

“It is common knowledge that once the dust is brushed off it’s wings,” he moved closer, “the butterfly is unable to fly and is therefore trapped.”

“What do you want?” Sairene didn’t like the way he was speaking. Chills were running laps along her spine.

“Do not worry little mortal,” he smiled charmingly at her, “that is for me to know and for you to find out.”

Before Sairene could protest however, he blew gently in her face and his eyes were the last thing she saw before blackness covered everything.


	2. Locating...

“Romanoff. Barton.” Nick Fury, the Director of SHIELD addressed two of his best agents.

“Sir,” both answered at the same time and stood to attention.

“Have either of you heard from Kylar?” His one eye flittered from one to the other. “She was supposed to report in yesterday, local time.”

A moment of silence passed before Nat stepped forward. “I spoke with her two days ago.”

“Did you just?” Fury crossed his arms and looked down at the red-haired Russian. “And did she tell you why she hasn’t been keeping in contact as regularly as she used to? And did she happen to mention where she was?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact she did,” Nat lifted her chin and looked him straight in his one eye. “She was in Austria, she was to meet a contact of ours in Vienna with regards to gathering more information on the Tesseract. When she got to him, however, he was dead. And the people that are responsible are now after her.”

“How is that possible, people don’t usually see her and if they do it’s only for a few seconds.”

“We are as surprised as you are Director,” Clint spoke up and came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his friend. “Sai told Nat that these people had been after her for just over a week. That’s the longest anyone has ever chased after her!”

“She’s either gone off the grid for her own safety or something’s happened to her.” Clint sounded as though he was trying convince himself rather than the Director.

“Gone off the grid?” Fury didn’t like where this was going.

“Yep,” Natasha nodded, “We’ve tried tracking her via satellite, mobile phone and coms but everything’s come back blank. We officially don’t know where she is or what happened to her.”

“My brother might have her,” Thor said as he entered the room. His words made everyone stop what they were doing and stare at him.

“Would he even know who she is?” Natasha folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Thor. “He’s only been here less than two weeks.”

This seemed of no consequence to the Aesir. “The people who work for him know who she is and would have no doubt informed him. My brother knows much about the Tesseract, but not everything.”

“So he’s gonna try and extract information out of her?” Bruce looked appalled just at the thought.

“More or less,” Thor confirmed, nodding.

~ ~ ~

Blinking, Sairene woke to find herself in what seemed to be a cell of sorts. She then became aware that she was lying on the ground; the same cold concrete as the walls. Adjusting herself into a sitting position, Sairene immediately felt that something was wrong. Patting her arms and legs, she noticed that the tell-tale lumps of her weapons had disappeared. Pulling up the leather of her ankle-length skirt, Sairene saw that her legging-clad legs were bare of all weapons. Panic began to course through her, never before had she been without her blades.

Using the wall as support, Sairene pushed herself up into a standing position and fully took in her surroundings. Beyond her cell, she saw people dressed as both scientists and soldiers. Curious, she approached the front wall of the cell that was made up of bars. Leaning against the metal, she gasped a little in surprise when the door gave way and swung open. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Sairene stepped out of the cell and into the area beyond.

Either they didn’t notice her or they were actively choosing to ignore her. Making her way tentatively through the area, Sairene’s eyes took in every aspect. From what she could make out, they were in an underground chamber with more than one exit. The distant dripping of water caught her attention and made her change direction. Her curiosity grew as the sound became louder and her feet carried her through numerous tunnels and around many corners before they became rooted to the spot.

 

The darkness of space surrounded him, separating him from Earth. The distant glimmer of stars broke the dark and illuminated the Chitauri. Loki was not easily intimidated, if at all. But now, as he stood before their leader, who spoke for the Titan Thanos, Loki felt the unwelcome sensation known as ‘fear’.

He gave no sign of having heard what the leader said, the threat against his life became seared in his memory and he feared he would not easily forget that. The sudden contact of the leader’s hand on his face threw him back to Earth.

 

Sairene watched him intently. Never before had she seen a myriad of emotions flicker across someone’s face. His eyes were closed and his jaw was clenched so tight, she feared his teeth would break. As her eyes took in his form, she recognised him from the night before. The suit was gone, replaced with an outfit of leather and metal, it seemed to her be of a bygone era.

When his eyes fluttered open, Sairene stifled a gasp. His eyes were of such a deep green that they would rival the purest emerald. Suddenly becoming aware that she was staring, Sairene looked away, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

“You’re awake.” His voice drew her eyes back to him.

Still too mortified to say anything coherent, Sairene simply nodded.

Her silence seemed to amuse him. “Why so quiet? You were most talkative when we first met.”

Swallowing hard, she mustered up the courage that had almost deserted her. “Who-who are you?” She mentally cursed herself for the stuttering.

“Is that stuttering I hear?” He sounded almost a little satisfied. “Do I frighten you?” With each word, he moved closer to her.

In truth, not much frightened her. But one thing would always intimidate her, the unknown and she hated not knowing. Looking up so that purple met green, she stepped back and shook her head. “No. You do not scare me. I simply wish to know who is holding me captive.”

“Captive?” A cold laugh escaped his lips, “I do not see any chains or locked cells.” His green eyes glittered like snow, beautiful but cold and dangerous.

“If I’m not a captive,” Sairene’s old strength was coming back. Crossing her arms, she continued, “then pray tell, what am I ?”

Leaning down so he was eye-level with her, he whispered, “you’re bait.” The smile that followed was as friendly as a shark’s.

“I’m sorry, what?” Sairene wasn’t sure she’d heard right.

“Bait.” The smile only widened. “I know all about your affiliations with those precious Avengers of yours. Oh yes,” his eyes took on a predatory shine, “they came after me you know.” He began to circle her, “Much good that did them. They were deluded enough to think they could best me.”

The revelation hit her like a tonne of bricks. “You’re him. You’re Loki.”

A slow round of applause followed her words, “well done little mortal.”

“I’ve heard of you,” Sairene murmured. “You’re Thor’s brother, aren’t you?”

The next thing she knew, she was pinned up against the opposite wall, her feet barely touching the ground. Loki’s green eyes were all she could see.

“Do no speak of him in my presence, do you understand me little mortal?” His words were hissed and sent shivers down her spine.

Not waiting for a response, he let go, dropping her unceremoniously to the ground. Turning his back on her, he left her coughing and rubbing her throat.

 


	3. Purpose

“What if she never left Europe?” Nat knew she was most likely wrong but she was desperate for anything that might lead them to the missing agent.

“Europe is pretty big Nat,” Clint stood by her side and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. “She could be anywhere.”

“I swear, if that sick murderous psycho lays even a finger on her,” Nat’s eyes took on a less-than-friendly look.

“I’ll help you kill him,” Clint supplied the rest of the sentence with a smirk. “Nothing will be able to stop us.”

“Now that we’ve resolved that issue,” Tony broke in, “we actually have to try and find her.”

“We’ve tried everything,” Bruce sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Everything that could be used to track someone like her has given us blank or unhelpful answers.”

“Where was she last seen?”

“The last time I spoke with her, she was in Vienna, Austria.” Nat recalled the information as though it were an unpleasant memory.

“Maybe that is where we should begin our search,” Thor’s suggestion was met with knowing smirks and heavy sighs.

“We can’t search every country on the continent, you know how long that would take?”

Nat and Clint glared at Bruce, “even if we have to search the entire planet, we will find her.”

“Guys, think about it,” Bruce lifted his hands in a gesture meant to placate. “She could quite literally be anywhere right now. He could have taken her anywhere. And more importantly,” he paused and met everyone’s eye before continuing, “he could have extracted the information by now, he could have gotten what he needed already.”

“We can’t just sit here and hope she’ll turn up somewhere! We have to go and find her.” Everyone but Nat was surprised at Clint’s outburst.

“Wait, let’s everyone just take a few steps back shall we?” Tony’s suggestion caused everyone to turn, confused, to face him.

“You Barton,” Tony addressed Clint, “you were mind-controlled by Thor’s mass murdering baby brother. Were you ever at his base of operations, so to speak?”

Just the memory of what Tony mentioned made Clint briefly close his eyes before looking up and meeting Tony’s gaze and nodding. “Yes. Yes I was.”

“Well,” Tony gestured for him to continue, “do you remember where that was?”

“Underground.”

“Underground? That’s the best you’ve got?”

“Hey!” Nat stood up for her friend. “That’s enough Tony. It’s more than we had a few minutes ago.”

~ ~ ~

“This mortal, are you certain she is the correct choice ?”

Loki hated being second-guessed, it didn’t matter by who. “Yes. She is of great value to them.”

“I hope, for your sake that you are right, Asgardian. He will not take kindly to yet another failure from you.”

Clenching his jaw, Loki fought back a retort. What failure? If losing Barton was considered a failure, then he hated to think what the Titan considered a success. “She will play her part. Whether she wants to or not.”

“She is different, is she not?”

The question confused him. He made to answer when the memory of a pair of purple eyes flashed before him. Never before had he seen eyes of such a colour they would rival the purest amethyst. They had looked at him not with fear, or hatred, or anger, but with curiosity. Pure, unbridled curiosity.

“Careful, Asgardian,” all of a sudden the voice was in his ear. “Do not let this mortal weave her way into your thoughts. She is but a means to an end. Do not forget that.”

~ ~ ~

Sairene had not the slightest idea where she was. But one thing she knew for certain was that she had to find a way out, or at the very least find a way to contact the outside world.

Now that she knew the reason behind her continued presence, Sairene knew she had to find a way to warn her friends. She didn’t want to be the reason behind something bad happening to them. Sairene remembered the stories Natasha and Clint had told her about Loki and she dreaded what he would do if he got what he wanted.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone aside from Loki seemed to ignore her, Sairene headed towards one of the numerous tunnels. She had to constantly look behind her in case someone suddenly found her interesting. As she managed to get further away, Sairene began to run and made her moniker proud. Her booted feet seemed to barely touch the ground as she wove her way through seemingly endless tunnels.

Her lungs soon burned with the need for oxygen and forced Sairene to stop. Leaning against a nearby wall, she closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths. Not wanting to run the risk of anyone catching up to her, Sairene made to continue in her original direction. She did not know how long she had been running when she first heard it.

_“Run, run little mortal.”_

The walls seemed to echo the words.

_“Fly as fast as you can little butterfly.”_

Skidding to a stop, Sairene looked behind her but saw no one. Neither was there anyone in front of her. The voice that spoke was sinister yet charming and made her think of ebony hair and emerald eyes. Shaking her head to clear it, Sairene continued to run, but the voice followed her.

_“Fly and I will follow you.”_

Sairene looked behind her as she ran but still didn’t see him.

_“Run and I will find you.”_

Ignoring the burning in her lungs, Sairene rounded corner after corner and in her desperation, she failed to notice that she was nowhere near the exit _._ It was only when her vision became sparkly and her breathing shallow, did she see him, and the smile that told her everything.


	4. Turning Tides

“Foolish girl.” Loki murmured, half to her and half to himself. He watched as she collapsed in front of him in the tunnels _,_ her amethyst eyes never leaving his. Her desperate escape attempt confirmed his decision that he had made the right choice. He had watched from the shadows as she ran _,_ running in the direction where she believed an exit to be.

He could not let her escape. He simply couldn’t.

Kneeling down beside her, his eyes swept over her form. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from running and loose strands of blonde hair had fallen across her closed eyes. The light fabric of her blouse was starkly contrasted with the leather of her ankle-length skirt and black combat boots.

Resisting the sudden urge to brush the hair away from her eyes, Loki gently lifted the unconscious young woman and carried her bridal-style back the way she had come. He did not know why he was carrying her, he could have just as easily enchanted her to float behind him. Sometime during their brief journey back, Sairene’s head rolled to rest against the side of his neck and her warm breath fanned gently against his skin. Quickly setting her down once they had reached the cell, Loki made to leave but stopped at the cell’s entrance and looked back at her. A brief moment passed before he shook his head and left, this time locking the cell behind him.

“What purpose does she serve?” Dr. Selvig asked Loki as he left the cell.

“One that does not concern you or your work.” His words rang with finality and Selvig dared not question them.

~ ~ ~

“Do you ever sleep?” A young female voice asked from behind Selvig and he turned around to face the speaker.

He was greeted by a pair of curious purple eyes and a faint smile. She was leaning against the bars of her cell with her long blonde hair slung over her shoulder.

“Why do you ask?” He knew Loki wouldn’t be too happy to find out he had spoken with her but, her presence seemed too strange to simply be ignored.

She shrugged, “I always see you working on that device of yours.”

“What’s your name young one?” He only knew her as ‘The Butterfly’, as did many others.

“It’s Kylar, Sairene Kylar.”

“Interesting name,” the new voice made both freeze and turn in the direction of the speaker.

Quickly hiding her surprise, Sairene straightened her posture and looked him in the eye. “Thank you. It’s a mixture of my grandmother’s names. Sarah and Irene.”

“Interesting,” one look from Loki had Selvig returning to his work as though nothing had happened.

Sairene backed away from the bars as he moved closer. “What do you want?”

“What are they to you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Who?”

“You know who.”

Silence hung like a curtain between them as she tried to figure out who he was talking about. Her eyes widened a fraction as realisation dawned. “The Avengers?”

“Yes. The Avengers.” Loki spoke the words as though they were poison.

“Well, I’m-”

“No,” Loki cut her off, “I know what _you_ are to them. I asked, what are _they_ to you?”

Sairene seemed temporarily lost for words until a small but fond smile graced her features. “They’re my friends. Probably the only friends I have but that doesn’t matter. Especially Nat and Clint,” her eyes and voice became distant, “those two are like family to me. The two siblings I never had.” It was almost as if she’d forgotten she had company.

Loki watched her closely as she spoke. She seemed to be worlds away, lost in memories and seeming not to care who heard what she said. The Other was right, she was different. The way her eyes sparkled with memory would put the stars to shame and her hair would make the ripest barely look dull and lifeless.

Two weeks went by without any word from Agent Kylar and both Nat and Clint were even more worried than before. Neither of them wanted to believe that she had been taken by Loki. After what had happened with Clint, they didn’t want to imagine what could happen to her.

“She’s a fighter Nat, we both know that,” Clint placed a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m positive that is he does have her, she won’t stop until she finds a way to get away from him.”

“Yeah, I just hope she makes his life hell,” Nat smiled up at Clint who grinned back.

“We’ll find her, even if it’s just the two of us, we’ll get her back.” As Clint spoke, it sounded as though he was trying to reassure himself more than her.

~ ~ ~

_“She escaped?!”_

Loki held up a hand in a gesture to placate The Other, “she _tried_ to escape. There is a difference.”

_“For your sake Asgardian,”_ The Other spoke the word with evident disgust. _“Let us hope she is not so foolish as to try so again.”_

Gritting his teeth, Loki looked the creature in the eye. “I have taken necessary precautions to ensure such a thing does not happen again.”

_“See that it doesn’t,”_ The Other came up behind him so it’s mouth was mere inches away from his ear. “ _Or you and that mortal will find just how unforgiving he can be to those that fail him.”_

Turning to face the creature _,_ Loki looked it right in the eye. “She is not aware of your existence and she cannot be held accountable for something she is unaware of.”

_“You would defend this mortal?”_ Incredulity dripped from every syllable. _“She who is beneath us?”_

_“_ And you would threaten the life of someone who is merely a means to an end?” Loki avoided The Other’s question on purpose. “Now where is the logic in that?”

_“It is not for you to question his decisions,”_ The Other hissed, obviously angered.

“I will deal with her, you have my word.”


	5. Green and Purple

“Where exactly am I?” Despite being underground, Sairene had no way of telling where she actually was,

“That is not important little mortal.”

Raising an eyebrow, Sairene folded her arms over her chest. “Why is that?”

“It’s time for you to become reacquainted with the outside world.”

Sairene narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “while I am indeed happy to hear that, what is the reason?”

“You ask too many questions.” Opening the cell door, Loki gestured for her to follow him.

Knowing she wouldn’t get an answer out of him, she huffed and stepped out of the cell and proceeded to follow him away from the main hub of activity and eventually came to a much smaller room.

With Loki going in ahead of her, Sairene was unable to see what was beyond. When he at last moved to the side, she felt her jaw drop and she gasped. Before her stood one of the most beautiful gowns she had ever laid eyes on. Moving as if in a trance, Sairene reached out and gently ran her fingers along the intricate gold threading on the bodice. Her eyes drank in every detail, from the sleeve caps to the wide bell-shaped skirt, nor did she miss its colour, a stunning forest green.

“I take it you like it then?” His question seemed to pull her out of her trance-like state. Blinking, she looked up at him and though she didn’t smile, her eyes did.

“I take it you would like me to wear this,” Sairene gestured towards the gown.

“If I am to be seen with a mortal in public, she must be attired appropriately.”

Before Sairene could utter another word, Loki flicked his left hand and suddenly, she found herself to be wearing the afore-mentioned gown. Blinking at him, Sairene could find no coherent words to say.

“Now at least you don’t look like some commoner.”

“Commoner?” Sairene was relieved to have found her voice again. “You’re lucky I like wearing stuff like this otherwise you might have had quite the job on your hands.”

“It seems I already do,” Loki murmured and slightly moved his right pointer finger, thus sweeping her long locks into a simple yet elegant up-do.

Feeling her hair move, Sairene reached up and was confused to find it arranged in intricate loops. Narrowing her eyes at her companion, she cocked her head to the side, “what did you just do with my hair?”

“You should be thanking me little mortal, now at least you can be seen in public.” A small smile followed his words as he watched for her reaction.

Sairene honestly thought she was dreaming. Why on earth was he dressing her up like this? What did he want from her, other than what he had already made abundantly clear ?

“Come with me,” holding out a hand, Loki waited for her to respond in some way.

“Where are we going, should I decide to go at all.” Her sillk-sheathed arms were folded over her chest.

“Stop asking so many questions, now give me your hand or shall I drag you along behind me?”

Sighing heavily and in a defeated manner, Sairene reached out and put one of her hands in his outstretched one. The moment their hands touched however, their surroundings vanished.

~ ~ ~

“Clint! Clint!” Nat skidded to a halt at the entrance to her friend’s room.

“Yeah,” looking up, the archer met his friend’s over-excited eyes. “What is it?”

“They think they’ve found her.” Nat had barely finished the sentence when Clint was up and had bolted from the room. Smiling to herself, Nat followed him until they came to the main control centre for the hellicarrier.

“Nat says you’ve found her. Where is she?” Clint asked Director Fury.

“Our surveillance have spotted someone who looks an awful lot like her.”

“Where is she?” Nat asked, coming to stand beside her excited companion.

“She was spotted in Berlin, Germany.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Clint made to leave but one look from the Director stopped him.

“Stark and Rogers have been sent to retrieve her.”

“What?!” Both Clint and Nat spoke at the same time, both equally confused and shocked, not wanting to believe what they had just heard.

“While the two of you know her the best, you are much too emotionally involved to be able to see things clearly. While Stark and Rogers know her, their relationship with her is a little more distant than the one you guys have. This made them better suited to the mission.” Fury eyed them both, as if daring them to challenge him.

“Fine,” both of them were anything but happy about the situation. “But we want to be kept updated even on the smallest detail.”

~ ~ ~

Sairene had been to many parties in her young life but never in her life had she imagined she would ever attend something so stunningly beautiful. She was surprised her jaw didn’t unhinge from how low it dropped.

“Close your mouth for goodness sake!” Loki’s hissed words brought her crashing back to the present.

“But it’s so beautiful,” Sairene whispered back. Her earlier prejudices forgotten. Her eyes wandered over their surroundings and took everything in. Despite living in an age of technology, thousands of candles had been lit in various spots around the massive ballroom. Chandeliers hung suspended at intervals along the high-ceiling and elaborate floral arrangements decorated choice areas of the spacious chamber.

Standing at the top of a rather large marble staircase, they could see right across most of the chamber. Sairene seemed to have forgotten who she was with as her eyes became fixated on the swirling colours of the dancing couples just a short distance from them. “What century am I in?” It seemed as if she’d gone back in time.

“I should think you would know,” Loki sounded almost a little bored. “I’m beginning to think it was a mistake bringing you here tonight.”

This brought her attention back to him. “What? Why?”

“You’re acting like a child, not a grown woman!”

“Well, excuse me,” placing a hand over her heart, Sairene feigned shock. “Not everyone was born and raised in a palace. So pardon me for admiring something I may never see again.” Not waiting for a reply, she turned her attention back to the dancers. Her amethyst eyes following couple after couple as they twirled over the smooth surface.

“Would you like to dance?”

Sairene wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. Turning to face him, she was surprised to see him extending a hand out to her. “Is this a trick question?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“For goodness sake woman! Would you like to dance or not?”

Fighting a smile, Sairene nodded and placed her hand in his. “Now that sounds a little more like you.”

With those words, she let Loki lead her down the stairs and onto the dance floor. From the moment they parted from the crowd, they were swept away with the other dancers.

Music surrounded them and soon all Sairene could see and feel were his emerald eyes and his hand resting gently on the small of her back. It had been a while since she had danced like this. She let him take the lead and soon they were sweeping across the smooth marble of the dance floor. The green silk of her gown swirled around her like water, yet she never tripped over it. Sairene had never liked dancing in heels yet now, as he guided her through steps and spins, she never felt more confident. Loki seemed to hold her steady whenever she thought she might trip or stumble.

“I didn’t know you were such a good dancer,” she didn’t have speak very loud and luckily he heard her the first time.

“One of the many joys of being a Prince,” sarcasm and insincerity was rife in every word and Sairene couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped her lips. 

Twirling her out in an elegant spin, Loki watched her and seemed to see her for the first time. A genuine smile graced her features as he led her through the steps of the dance and the candlelight danced off her hair and seemed to give her a halo. The touch of her hand in his was gentle yet firm, confident that he wouldn’t let her trip or fall. It seemed as though their surroundings fell away and it was just the two of them with the candles and the music and vast ballroom. All he could see was her as she swayed and twirled in his arms, a vision of green and gold and hints of purple.

Steve was more than skeptical as he and Tony entered the ballroom of the American Ambassador’s mansion in Berlin.

“Relax Cap,” Tony patted his companion on the shoulder and proceeded to scan the crowded room for their colleague. “If she’s here, she’s sure to stick out like a sore thumb.”

Politely declining more than one request for one thing or another, both men made their way through the crowded room. It was Steve that noticed that everyone seemed to be looking in one direction, nudging Tony, he pointed out what he had noticed. “Everyone seems focused on the same thing, what do you think it is? Stark?” He nudged his companion who was looking in the same direction as everyone else, he didn’t seem to hear a word Steve had said.

Sighing heavily, he looked in the direction Tony was and his jaw almost hit the floor. The dance floor was empty save for one couple. Green, black and gold. They seemed not to touch the floor at all as they moved across the smooth marble. Who they were was unmistakable and it was the last thing Steve or Tony had expected to see. They moved as one, their movements fluid and elegant. They looked like something out of a story.

 

Sairene and Loki were oblivious to the audience that had gathered or the silence that had fallen, save for the music. They were in a world of their own creation and when the music began to draw to a close, did he spin her out before pulling her back in. Only when the sound of clapping sounded through the vast room, did both of them realise how close they were to the other. A brief second passed before they separated and briefly acknowledged the crowd.

“I’m gonna need some fresh air,” Sairene whispered to Loki and pointed to a pair of glass doors that appeared to lead outside.

“For once, I agree with you.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Sairene led the way through the crowd. The moment they passed through the doors, she took lungfuls of cool night air. “Oh boy, did it get warm in there,” her tone suggested she was talking to herself so Loki said nothing in reply.

Looking up at the sky, Sairene smiled to herself. She could not remember the last time she had had time to simply stare at stars and she had almost forgotten how beautiful they were. “They’re so beautiful.”

“What is?” Loki asked as he moved to stand beside her.

“The stars and to think how far away they are,” her voice turned thoughtful. “It’s really quite fascinating.”

“Indeed,” Loki replied but he was not looking at the stars. The Other’s voice whispered in his ear, reminding him of what she was; but as he looked at her, slightly sweaty from their dance and taking deep breaths to cool herself, and her hair, curling at the temples where beads of sweat had formed. She had never looked more human. Gone was the ethereal image of before. She now stood beside him as someone real and not as something he had conjured up.

Sighing contentedly, Sairene looked to see if Loki was still there as he had gone unusually quiet. Looking to her left, she found him staring at her in a way she had not thought possible for him. “Loki?”

Her use of his name made him realise that that was the first she had ever said it and just how different it sounded coming from her. Wiping his face clean of expression, his eyes met hers. “Yes?”

“Is everything alright?”

Nodding quickly, he averted his attention. “We’ve been here long enough.” Holding out a hand but refusing to meet her eye, he waited.

Shaking her head, Sairene smiled before placing her hand in his and then....they were underground again.


	6. Intricacies

“Their jet just landed.”

Those four words had Natasha and Clint up and running towards the hellicarrier’s main deck. They arrived just in time to see the loading ramp lower. Two figures emerged and both Nat and Clint held their breath in anticipation, Sairene would follow them any second.

No third figure followed and Nat and Clint looked at each other confusion. She must still be on board. Both seemed to be thinking the same as they made their way over to the jet and coming face-to-face with Tony and Steve.

“Is she still on board?” Nat beat Clint to it and both looked expectantly at their team mates.

“She’s not here,” Steve saw no point in trying to lie, Nat would have seen through them anyway.

“Come again?” Clint didn’t think he heard correctly. “If she’s not here, then where the hell is she?”

“Tony?” Nat turned her attention to other man and raised her eyebrows. “Where is she?”

“Let’s take this inside before it gets ugly,” Steve intervened, he knew that look in Natasha’s eyes and it didn’t bode well.

“Don’t think for a second you two will get away without telling us.” The warning in Clint’s words was unmistakable.

“Oh don’t you worry,” Tony patted Clint on the back as he passed, “we plan on telling you everything.” The words sounded far from reassuring.

Shrugging, Clint motioned for Natasha to walk alongside him as they followed Steve and Tony inside.

The Director had called everyone together for a meeting as soon as Tony and Steve had re-entered the hellicarrier. The whole team, Agents Hill and Coulson included, were now waiting to hear just why the mission had not gone as planned.

“When we walked into the ballroom, the only sound was the music and everyone seemed to be gathered near the dance floor,” Steve had stepped forward and spoke for the both of them.

“Why?” Bruce asked what everyone was thinking and they all looked to Steve expectantly.

“It was like a scene out of a fairy-tale. Too beautiful to be real. It was no wonder really, that they drawn the attention of so many. They moved as though they had danced that dance countless times before.”

During Steve’s short speech, Tony had glanced around at their colleagues and wandered if any had perhaps any idea who his companion was talking about.

“Who is _they_?” Natasha asked the question as though she already the answer, but dreaded it.

Before Steve could answer, Tony stepped forward. “Loki, and our very own Agent Kylar.”

Nat felt a mixture of anger and shock course through her and had to be physically held back by Clint. “You’re lying, she would never want anything to do with that murderous son of a-”

“It’s the truth Nat,” Steve cut her off and moved to stand between her and Tony. “Neither of us wanted to believe what we were seeing.”

“That still doesn’t explain why she isn’t standing here,” Clint said as he lay a firm but comforting hand on Nat’s shoulder in an effort to calm her down.

“After the dance,” Steve continued, keeping a close eye on Nat. “Both of them went outside. Stark and I followed.”

“What did they do?” Bruce asked.

“She seemed to be trying to cool herself down after the dance and he simply stood next to her, not saying or doing anything, until,” Steve paused and looked over to Tony, silently asking him to continue the story.

Taking a deep breath, Tony continued, “until he held out a hand, which she took and they both just......vanished.”

“Vanished?” Incredulity coloured the Director’s tone, “what is that supposed to mean?”

“One of my brother’s new tricks no doubt,” Thor spoke for the first time. “He has long been experimenting with new ways to travel, even before he fell from the Bifrost.”

“So technically, we’re back to square one.” Clint sounded far from pleased.

“It would seem so,” even Nat sounded resigned.

~ ~ ~

Sairene hated corsets. She could not stand them and made a point of buying formal dresses that didn’t require one. She detested dresses that she needed help getting out of. The one she was currently wearing was fast becoming one of those.

“Do you require some assistance?”

Sairene’s fingers froze and she felt her heart rate gradually increase. Not knowing what else to do, she simply nodded. 

Loki knew that The Other as well the Titan he spoke for, would have his head for this. He had watched as she struggled with the laces and how her language was becoming more colourful by the minute.

He surprised himself when he asked her if she needed help. The words came out before he could stop them. When she nodded, however, his heart skipped a beat, something it had never done before.

He approached her hesitantly and this confused him. Where was all this coming from? Where had his sense of superiority and leadership gone? In her presence all that seemed to melt away. Reaching up, he began to pull the laces free, his fingers occasionally brushing against her skin.

Sairene could not help the small gasp that escaped her lips as she felt his touch on her back. She became acutely aware of how close he was and it was almost intoxicating.

He felt her shiver as his hands slowly made their way down. Leaning in, he whispered, “are you cold my little mortal?” His lips brushed gently against her ear.

Sairene was having a hard time concentrating. As if on autopilot, she shook her head.

“But you are shivering,” his lips moved from her ear to the base of her jaw. Her sharp intake of breath made him smile.

“What-what do you want?” Sairene mentally cursed herself for stuttering. Instead of a verbal response, she felt him turn her to face him and the look in his eyes took her by surprise.

_Damn you woman,_ Loki thought to himself, _of all questions to ask, it had to be that one._ Taking a deep breath, he met her gaze. “What I want-” cutting himself off, he turned away. “It doesn’t matter what I want. It never has.”

“It matters now.” Her voice was gentle and her eyes even more so.

“You-” his voice was a lot quieter, almost a whisper. Turning slightly, he looked her straight in the eye, “it’s always been you.”

“Me?” Sairene placed a hand over her heart and her jaw dropped ever-so-slightly. “But I thought I was merely the bait to trap my friends?”

“You were, but now,” he moved a closer until he was less than an arm’s length away.

“But now, what?” Her unique eyes searched his for an answer.

“But now,” he continued, “I do not think I would be able to give you up without a fight.”

Sairene blinked, “what are you saying?” She hardly dared believe her ears.  

“What I am saying, little mortal,” he moved just that little bit closer, their faces mere inches apart. “Is that you are my greatest weakness and that if anyone should ever take you away from me,” emerald met amethyst, “it would take more than an army, mortal or Asgardian, to keep me from finding you again.”

Sairene opened her mouth as though to say something but no sound came out. Giving up on trying to speak, she did the most simplest thing in the world, she closed the distance between them and kissed him.

Loki wasn’t sure how to react. The touch of her lips on his sent sparks flying through his nervous system and when she pulled back to gauge his reaction, he brought a hand to his lips as if in a trance. “Is this love Agent Kylar?”

Sairene felt her cheeks heat up and she averted her eyes, looking at the ground.

“If it is,” he gently lifted her chin, “then allow me to shower you with it.” When he kissed her it was as though he was in desperate need of air and her lips were the only source of oxygen. The force of his kiss threw her a little off-balance and she stumbled back a little before he caught her.

Breaking the kiss, she looked up at him, her purple eyes sparkling like the night sky. “What if they used me as bait to catch you? Would you come?”

“Without a second thought,” he murmured, his lips ghosting along her jawline.

“Do-do you really mean that?” His touch was doing things to her, including inhibiting her ability to think and speak clearly.

“Let me show you just how much,” with those words, he caught her lips with his and did not let go even when the barrier of clothing fell away and their bodies became entwined in a dance more intricate and intimate than the one in the ballroom.


	7. Revelations

_“He grows impatient.”_ The Other hissed.

“It won’t be long now,” Loki had to fight to keep calm and his thoughts neutral.

_“Need I remind you of what would happen should you fail us_.”

Loki shook his head. “There will be no need for that. She will play her part, as will I.”

_“Ah yes. The mortal girl. The one that will draw our enemy to their end.”_

“They will come for her, I know they will.” Loki spoke with an air of confidence, _but she won’t be going with them,_ he thought to himself. “It is only a matter of time before they locate her.”

_“If you are lying to us Asgardian,”_ all of a sudden, The Other’s hideous face was mere inches from his.

Loki didn’t let him finish the threat. “How would I benefit from lying to you?”

The Other fell silent.

“And what of the mortal? What will happen to her?”

_“She will disposed of, just like that team of hers.”_

“Disposed of ?” Despite his best efforts, Loki’s voice shook, ever so slightly.

The Other stopped circling him. _“You will see to it. Not a trace of her is to be left.”_

In that moment, Loki swore he forgot how to breathe. “Why not simply erase her memory?” He hoped he didn’t sound too desperate.

_“What is this new-found desire to defend the mortals?”_

Loki knew he would have to think very carefully before answering. “It is only logical. She may come in use in the future, so if we kill her off, we will have to find someone else entirely.”

The Other did not answer right away. _“I doubt her services will be needed in the future.”_

Before Loki could answer however, he was thrown back to Earth and to the heart wrenching reality that he would have to erase the existence of the only woman he had ever loved. Loki slammed his fist into the nearest wall and screamed, not caring who or what heard him. _How typical,_ he thought, _how damn typical._

“Loki?”

Turning around, he saw her standing just a short distance away. Her eyes wide with fear.

“Is everything alright?”

In answer, he closed the distance between them and pulled her close. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he closed his eyes and felt tears flow from beneath them. “I will make it alright.”

~ ~ ~

Looking down, Sairene was confused to see her feet partially submerged in snow. Looking around, she felt something soft touch her cheeks, something akin to fur. Lifting her hand, she saw they were sheathed in grey gloves with a fur cuff of a similar shade. Her eyes traveled further to discover that the fur cuff was part of a very wide sleeve with celtic-like patterns embroidered on the upper part of the sleeve.

Her attention was drawn back to her surroundings when the snow around her seemed to change colour. Looking up, her eyes widened as she caught sight of ribbons of alternating light flicker across the sky. “Where am I?” She murmured quietly, her breath coming out in small clouds.

“We are in Norway.”  Loki spoke from behind her.

Turning to face him, Sairene smiled and sighed contentedly. “It’s so beautiful here, don’t you think?”

Loki didn’t answer.

Tilting her head to the side, Sairene looked at him. He seemed different from before. His silence was a little unnerving.

“Loki?” She approached him and lay a gentle hand on his arm. “What is it? What’s the matter?”

He seemed to flinch from the question and turned away from her.

Sairene refused to let this sudden change in behaviour dissuade her. “Has this got something to do what happened back in the tunnels?” She would never forget the sound of his scream, it was the sound of someone being torn apart.

Loki briefly closed his eyes and sighed, knowing she wouldn’t let up until she got an answer. Nodding, he turned to face her again. “Yes.” Even if he wanted to lie, he couldn’t.

“What was it?” Her voice was a whisper, as though she were afraid of the answer.

“I-” Loki felt the words catch in his throat. It was not often that he was lost for words. “There is no easy way to tell you this.”

“Then just tell me,” she pleaded with him, her eyes begging for the truth.

“It wasn’t my idea.”

“What wasn’t?” Stepping closer to him, she hesitantly took one of his hands, thus urging him to look her in the eye.

“The kidnapping.”

“Who’s was it if not yours?” Sairene maintained a gentle, yet firm grip on his hand.

“It was _his._ He wants the Avengers gone so badly. I was asked to find someone close to them, to draw them in and make them easy targets.” Loki could not meet her eyes, for fear of what he might find there.

“Who is this person?” Curiosity coloured her words.

“I do not know his name. I was never told it. He is known more commonly as The Titan.” Memories flashed before his eyes, unpleasant and painful memories.

“And you chose me.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Yes. I knew of your importance to SHIELD and the Avengers through Agent Barton. He told me everything there was to know about you, not knowing that you would eventually be used against him.”

“What-what will happen to me after?” For the first time in her life, Sairene was scared.

Gently pulling his hand from hers, Loki backed away a few steps before answering. “I tried to dissuade him, really I did.” His voice became a whisper, as though he was afraid someone other than her might hear him.

Swallowing hard, Sairene asked, “tried to dissuade him of what?”

“He-” Loki took a deep breath before continuing, still not meeting her eyes. “He wants you gone. All evidence of you is to be erased.” He saw no point in lying to her about this.

“Dead?” Sairene blinked away the sudden tears the sprung up behind her eyes. “He-he wants me dead?“ Her lower lip trembled and she began to take short, shallow breaths.

Loki could do nothing but nod.

“And let me guess,” she smiled grimly, “he wants you to do it.” She hoped and prayed she was wrong. Her hopes were shattered when he at last met her gaze, his eyes telling her things his lips could not.

“No,” her voice became a broken whisper, “no.” Clenching her jaw so tight she feared her teeth would break, Sairene slowly backed away from him before breaking into a run. She ran not from him, but from the reality that had come crashing down around her.

Loki seemed frozen to the spot. His heart seemed to tear in two as she ran from him. Looking up to the lights that danced in the sky, he let the tears come. In the lights he saw them both in a reality that would never come to pass. His last chance at happiness had been snatched away from him in the cruellest way imaginable.

Sairene did not get far before she collapsed. Her legs refusing to take her any further. She did not scream or cry out. She simply knelt in the snow and let the tears run their course. “Why?” She spoke to the lights and the stars above her. Her eyes reflecting the changing colours. Then it slammed into her. How he had spoken and refused to look at her. It had all been thrust upon his unwilling shoulders and like Atlas, he had to bear the weight of the world and he had borne it nobly. Only the pain in his eyes reflected how he truly felt.

“Loki?” Her gentle voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to her in surprise.

“You came back.”

“What else could I do?” Sairene smiled gently. If she were made of ice, the look in his eyes would have melted her.

“I gave you no reason to return,” genuine confusion flittered like a butterfly over his features.

“That’s very true,” Sairene smirked. “But who says that reason has anything to do with this?”

“I don’t deserve you,” the words were barely audible, yet she heard them all the same.

“No one ever deserves the one they love,” she lay a gentle hand on his cheek, directing his eyes to meet hers. “That’s what makes it so special.”

The words only just left her mouth when Loki pulled her close and kissed her, pouring in all the love he felt for her and all the pain he had endured. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, fully connecting them together.


	8. Escape

“Sir! Sir!” The excited voice of an analyst broke through everyone’s thoughts and they turned to look at him.

“What is it?” The Director asked in a resigned tone.

Pausing to catch his breath, the young man continued. “Our correspondent in Norway has found something that I’m positive you’ll want to see.”

“And what might this something be?” Clint asked. He hardly dared believe it would have something to do with Sairene.

“They believe they have found our missing Agent, Sairene Kylar.”

“Do they know for sure that it’s her?” Nat raised an eyebrow sceptically.

“Yes ma’am,” the analyst turned to her. “They sent photographic and video evidence.”

Fury glanced at the team around him. “This may be our last chance to rescue her and capture him. I say we take it.” His statement was met with nods and murmurs of agreement.

“Where was the surveillance picked up from?” The Director turned his attention back to the newcomer.

“A city in the southwest of Norway known as Bergen. Our correspondent says she was accompanied by a man.” The analyst cast a nervous look around the room, not sure how this news would be received.

Nat sent Clint a look that could only be described as wickedly gleeful. “We’ve got him.”

“Let’s hope so,” Clint replied before turning to Fury. “Before you say otherwise, Nat and I will be going to retrieve her.”

The Director smirked. “I see no point in arguing, but the rest of the team will be going with you. We can’t afford to let them slip through our fingers again.”

“Let’s bring our Agent home,” Steve’s statement was met with cheers. “And Loki to justice.” Louder cheers erupted from the group.

~ ~ ~

“Have you ever been to this country before?” Loki asked as they made their way down Bergen’s main street, fresh snow crunching under their feet.

Breathing in the cold air, Sairene shook her head. “I’ve been only for work. Only to the big cities. Never to the country. So I don’t really count that as having been here.”

Loki gently placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side and smiled when she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Do you think they’ll still come for me?”

Stopping, he looked down at her. “I don’t see why not my little mortal, you after all, are still Agent Sairene Kylar, are you not?”

Sairene grinned and nodded. “I was, the last time I checked.” Reaching up, she gently pulled his face down and pressed her lips to his. Her heart leapt when she felt him smile against her lips.

Resuming their former positions, they continued walking until they came to one of the piers, as Bergen was a coastal city. Pausing at the end of the wooden platform, Sairene turned to face him. “Do you think he’ll ever find me? The Titan you spoke of.”

In response, Loki pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “I won’t let him anywhere near you, my precious mortal.”

They stood like that for seemed like hours and only when the snow began to fall again, did Sairene pull away to look up at him and smile.

Their bubble of happiness was burst when Loki spotted a group of six rather distinct looking individuals. “We have to go.”

His urgent tone caught her attention, “what is it?”

“More like _who._ Your friends are here. Or they soon will be.”

Looking over her shoulder, Sairene saw them too. She knew she should have been happy to see them. But they were the last people she wanted to see at present.

“Come on,” Loki took her hand and urged her to follow him.

Gripping onto his un-gloved hand, Sairene ran alongside him until they came to an alleyway.

 

 

“There they are!” Clint pointed to a pier not far from where the team was.

That was all the encouragement they needed, but it seemed as though Loki had seen them too. The Avengers saw him all but pull Sairene along behind him and they sped up as not to lose them again.

 

The sound of pounding footsteps came closer to the alley and Sairene began to panic. “Loki. They’re coming.”

“I know, my love, I hear them.” Turning to face her, he held her face with both hands. “I will not let them take you from me, at least not without a fight.”

“Just like you promised,” she smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“And who says I don’t keep my promises?” A mischievous smile followed his words.

“What if there was another way?” Her amethyst eyes looked up at him hopefully.

“Another way for what?” He led her further down the alley as the footsteps came closer.

“Hide me,” Sairene looked back the way they had come. “Hide me from them and from _him_.”

“Hide you?” Loki looked at her as though she’d sprouted a second head.

“Yes. Hide me,” she glanced frantically behind them. “That way, when all this is done with, you can come and find me.”

“There is nowhere where he won’t be able to find you.” Loki pleaded with her, trying to make her understand that nowhere was safe.

Sairene smiled mirthlessly and lay a hand on his cheek. “I have faith in your abilities to find a safe place for me.”

As the footsteps came closer, Loki knew he had little to no choice. “Damn you woman.” Pulling her close, he kissed her fiercely before pulling away and opening a portal.

Sairene took a series of deep breaths in order to try and calm herself. Lifting her chin, she moved towards the patch of shimmering air and reached her hand towards it and saw it disappear. With her hand through the portal, she directed her eyes to him and blinked away tears. “I won’t say goodbye for I shall see you again.” Receiving a small nod of encouragement from him, she followed her hand and disappeared.

“Run, little mortal,” he whispered, “and I shall find you.”

Then he turned to face the Avengers and his brother, all but ignoring the pain that came from having to live with only half a heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this imagine: 
> 
> "Imagine Loki kidnapping you to use you as bait for the Avengers but he ends up falling for you."


End file.
